Purchase of grocery items over a computer network, such as the Internet, is known in the art. However, the selling of grocery items online presents special logistical problems that often do not pertain to other forms of Internet commerce. These special logistical problems typically revolve around the need for rapid delivery of ordered items and the handling of the mixed variety of goods which are included in a grocery order, including such items as perishable goods, refrigerated goods, and frozen goods.
Customers of an online grocery store typically demand rapid delivery of their orders or delivery within a small time window for convenience. In many cases, delivery is often required within a day from placement of the order. In order to minimize the cost of delivery, yet still satisfy a customer's demand for prompt delivery, the order fulfillment process for these online grocery systems must be significantly more rapid than most E-commerce applications. However, delivery times for many online grocery systems are often limited by their order fulfillment systems and methods. Many of these systems and methods are incapable of satisfying orders within a short period of time. Gathering orders often comprise a major portion of the time expended filling an order. In many of the current systems, orders are filled linearly with each order being filled prior to moving or to the next order. These systems and methods are not optimal in a situation where a large number of orders must be filled within a short period of time.
Another problem faced by current online grocery systems stems from the often mixed bag of goods which typically comprise a grocery order. These orders typically include dry goods, perishable items, items that require refrigeration or freezing, and assorted other goods which may require different gathering or handling techniques. The gathering and delivery of such a mixed bag of items pose a significant logistical problem for most internet-based grocery systems.
The physical delivery of groceries to the customers also often provide additional sources of delay. Delivery areas and routes may vary depending on the particular orders for a given day. The delivery route that a delivery person uses can often significantly affect the delivery time for orders.
As such, there is need for an improved network-based grocery store, which will provide efficient ordering and delivery a grocery items. There is a need in the art for a system and process for efficiently and economically filling orders received over the network. There if a further need for a system and process that allows orders to be delivered rapidly and within a narrow time window to satisfy customer demands.